Course Description:
English 15 is an intensive course in rhetoric-based reading and writing. Simply put, “rhetoric” is using language to have a particular effect on particular people; or really, doing consciously what you already do when you write to your parents one way and your friends another, and knowing why you did it that way.
The only way to learn about writing, and the best way to think about it, is to do it, so in this course, we will do a lot of writing, and exchange a lot of feedback. We will work with writing as a process, with multiple drafts and heavy revision, and as a social activity, with high stakes in an on-going conversation. We will talk a lot about critical thinking, to see issues through other people’s eyes, and to understand good writing, how it works, and how its tactics can be used for our own purposes. Last, but not finally, we will revise the course as we go, to pursue interesting ideas and to challenge each others’ thinking. With work, thought, and attention to revision, everyone who takes this course can become a stronger, braver, and more confident writer, no matter where they started from.
Required Books
The Norton Field Guide to Writing, 2nd Ed. - Richard Bullock & Francine Weinberg
Rhetorical Choices: A Reader for Writers, 2nd Ed. - Gilyard, Holstein, & Schuster
Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace, 4th Edition - Colomb and Williams
Penn Statements – Spring 2011 edition
Requirements
To pass this course you must turn in all papers and writing assignments; if you do not turn in one of your papers, you will automatically fail the course. You must come to class meetings and take part in draft workshops, in-class exercises, and classroom discussions. Papers must be handed in on time.
Grades
Paper 1: Evaluation (Critical Review) 10% Due September 12
Paper 2: Definition 15% Due September 30
Paper 3: Personal Narrative 10% Due October 17
Paper 4: Scholarly Research and Reporting 15% Due November 2
Paper 5: Proposal 15% Due November 18
Paper 6: Revision* 15% Due December 9
Blog/Wiki 10%
Participation 10%
*Each student will revise a previously submitted paper. The revision is graded on both total quality and improvement over the original; the grade for quality will replace the grade for the original paper, and the grade for improvement will count for a separate 15% of the final grade. Participation includes attendance, discussion, in-class writing, and group work.
The Wiki and the Website
The wiki and the blogs belong to you. Every member of the class will have the power to read, add to, and edit the wiki, as well as see what everyone else has done. Every student will develop a personal page on the wiki, submit a blog entry twice a week, comment on other students’ entries, and help maintain a set of notes for the course.
I will be maintaining a separate website for the course, where I will post grades, links to readings, and the most current copy of the syllabus: www.nicoleegley.wordpress.com. Check this site regularly for any changes to the reading schedule, or subscribe to it so that you will be emailed when changes are made.
Office Conferences
You must arrange to meet with me one-on-one at least four times during the semester, to discuss your work and your progress as a writer. This will count as part of your participation grade. You are welcome to take your ideas and your written work to Penn State Learning for writing support (220 Boucke, 863-3240), but please take your assignment sheet to the appointment so the tutor will know what you need. For more information about the writing center, use the following link: http://pennstatelearning.psu.edu.
Format
Choosing a format is a rhetorical decision, so you will have some freedom in designing your documents. All drafts that are turned in should be typed and double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Place your name, the date, the assignment, the instructor’s name, and the intended audience in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Number the pages, and fasten them with a paper clip or a staple.
Final drafts will be submitted electronically to the course’s Dropbox folder, and on paper to the instructor. Submit your printed copy in a folder with your name on the outside. Put the following in the folder with your final draft:
Proposal, approved by the instructor
Rough draft, with your peer reviewer’s notes
Peer review workshop page
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas in your work without giving credit to the source. We will discuss plagiarism in class; if you have any questions about plagiarism and its consequences, please ask. The departmental policy on plagiarism is available online at <http://www.la.psu.edu/undergrad/integrity/studentpolicy/collegepolicy.htm>. If you are caught plagiarizing, you risk failing the course. You may also be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs, and this may result in probation, suspension, or expulsion for academic dishonesty.
Attendance
You must come to class. I will usually excuse absences if you talk to me in advance, and people do get sick. However, bear this in mind: according to University policy (Policies and Rules, 42-7), if you run up too many unexcused absences, I may lower your grade down to and including an F, regardless of your work in the course. “Too many” is defined as more than three for an MWF class.
If you miss a class, get the assignments, class notes, and course changes from a classmate. If you miss class on a day when written work is due, send it to me with a classmate or by email. In-class work cannot be made up.
Illness Protocols
In compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control recommendations, students should NOT attend class or any public gatherings while sick with influenza. Students with flu symptoms will be asked to leave campus if possible and to return home during recovery. The illness and self-isolation period will usually be about a week. It is very important that individuals avoid spreading the flu to others.
Statement on Nondiscrimination
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Note: The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
Submissions to Penn Statements Penn Statements encourages students to submit essays for possible publication in this student journal. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and can be sent electronically to PennStatements2012@gmail.com. Please include the title of the essay, the assignment it satisfied (very important!) and a release statement, as below:
“I, <name>, give permission to Penn Statements to publish my essay, “<essay>.”
Syllabus
English 15: Rhetoric and Composition
Fall 2011
Instructor: Nicole Egley
Office Location: Burrowes 12C
Section: 74
Office Hours: M 9-11, R 2:30-4:30
Classroom/Time: 215 Willard, 11:15 - 12:05 M-W-F
Contact: nre5028@psu.edu
Course Description:
English 15 is an intensive course in rhetoric-based reading and writing. Simply put, “rhetoric” is using language to have a particular effect on particular people; or really, doing consciously what you already do when you write to your parents one way and your friends another, and knowing why you did it that way.
The only way to learn about writing, and the best way to think about it, is to do it, so in this course, we will do a lot of writing, and exchange a lot of feedback. We will work with writing as a process, with multiple drafts and heavy revision, and as a social activity, with high stakes in an on-going conversation. We will talk a lot about critical thinking, to see issues through other people’s eyes, and to understand good writing, how it works, and how its tactics can be used for our own purposes. Last, but not finally, we will revise the course as we go, to pursue interesting ideas and to challenge each others’ thinking. With work, thought, and attention to revision, everyone who takes this course can become a stronger, braver, and more confident writer, no matter where they started from.
Required Books
Requirements
To pass this course you must turn in all papers and writing assignments; if you do not turn in one of your papers, you will automatically fail the course. You must come to class meetings and take part in draft workshops, in-class exercises, and classroom discussions. Papers must be handed in on time.
Grades
Paper 1: Evaluation (Critical Review) 10% Due September 12
Paper 2: Definition 15% Due September 30
Paper 3: Personal Narrative 10% Due October 17
Paper 4: Scholarly Research and Reporting 15% Due November 2
Paper 5: Proposal 15% Due November 18
Paper 6: Revision* 15% Due December 9
Blog/Wiki 10%
Participation 10%
*Each student will revise a previously submitted paper. The revision is graded on both total quality and improvement over the original; the grade for quality will replace the grade for the original paper, and the grade for improvement will count for a separate 15% of the final grade.
Participation includes attendance, discussion, in-class writing, and group work.
The Wiki and the Website
The wiki and the blogs belong to you. Every member of the class will have the power to read, add to, and edit the wiki, as well as see what everyone else has done. Every student will develop a personal page on the wiki, submit a blog entry twice a week, comment on other students’ entries, and help maintain a set of notes for the course.
I will be maintaining a separate website for the course, where I will post grades, links to readings, and the most current copy of the syllabus: www.nicoleegley.wordpress.com. Check this site regularly for any changes to the reading schedule, or subscribe to it so that you will be emailed when changes are made.
Office Conferences
You must arrange to meet with me one-on-one at least four times during the semester, to discuss your work and your progress as a writer. This will count as part of your participation grade. You are welcome to take your ideas and your written work to Penn State Learning for writing support (220 Boucke, 863-3240), but please take your assignment sheet to the appointment so the tutor will know what you need. For more information about the writing center, use the following link: http://pennstatelearning.psu.edu.
Format
Choosing a format is a rhetorical decision, so you will have some freedom in designing your documents. All drafts that are turned in should be typed and double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Place your name, the date, the assignment, the instructor’s name, and the intended audience in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Number the pages, and fasten them with a paper clip or a staple.
Final drafts will be submitted electronically to the course’s Dropbox folder, and on paper to the instructor. Submit your printed copy in a folder with your name on the outside. Put the following in the folder with your final draft:
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas in your work without giving credit to the source. We will discuss plagiarism in class; if you have any questions about plagiarism and its consequences, please ask. The departmental policy on plagiarism is available online at <http://www.la.psu.edu/undergrad/integrity/studentpolicy/collegepolicy.htm>. If you are caught plagiarizing, you risk failing the course. You may also be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs, and this may result in probation, suspension, or expulsion for academic dishonesty.
Attendance
You must come to class. I will usually excuse absences if you talk to me in advance, and people do get sick. However, bear this in mind: according to University policy (Policies and Rules, 42-7), if you run up too many unexcused absences, I may lower your grade down to and including an F, regardless of your work in the course. “Too many” is defined as more than three for an MWF class.
If you miss a class, get the assignments, class notes, and course changes from a classmate. If you miss class on a day when written work is due, send it to me with a classmate or by email. In-class work cannot be made up.
Illness Protocols
In compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control recommendations, students should NOT attend class or any public gatherings while sick with influenza. Students with flu symptoms will be asked to leave campus if possible and to return home during recovery. The illness and self-isolation period will usually be about a week. It is very important that individuals avoid spreading the flu to others.
Statement on Nondiscrimination
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University.
Note: The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
Submissions to Penn Statements
Penn Statements encourages students to submit essays for possible publication in this student journal. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and can be sent electronically to PennStatements2012@gmail.com. Please include the title of the essay, the assignment it satisfied (very important!) and a release statement, as below:
“I, <name>, give permission to Penn Statements to publish my essay, “<essay>.”